Feed-water heater.



Patented Uct.'29, I901. I

F. J. MANLEY.

FEED WATER HEATER.

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

THE nor ms PETERS 00 Puuraumo, WASHXNGTUN. o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. MANLEY, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,624, dated October 29, 1901. Application filed December 15, 1900. Serial No. 40,002. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. MANLEY, a'citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Water I-Ieatersfor Steam-Boilers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to feed-water heaters for steam-boilers, and particularly to that class of heaters designed and adapted to increase the temperature of the feed-water taken from the open heater using exhauststeam from the engine by pumping or forcing it into the boiler through a series of horizontal tubes arranged in a suitable casing and surrounded by live steam from the boiler. In heaters of this class the Water when raised to a higher temperature than that imparted to it in the open heater by the exhaust-steam will deposit the magnesia and other scaleformiug minerals contained therein, and these instead of being deposited in the boiler will be deposited inside the water-tubes of the heater, which therefore require to be frequently relieved of the incrustation, which by lessening the conductivity of the walls of the tubes impair their efficiency. This scale when deposited in the tubes of a heater is very difficult to dislodge, as it forms a continuous circle within the tube thicker at the bottom than at the top and of great density and tenacity, so that its removal is attended with great labor and loss of time. I have foundthat if the formation of this scale within the heatertubes in the form of a continuous circle or arch at the point of greatest density or thickness is prevented by interposing a suitable removable barrier and cooling and contracting the tubes while this barrier or removable keystone is in place the disintegration and dislodgment of the scale from its position become easy and the cleaning of the tubes a work requiring comparatively little time and labor. v

. In carrying my invention into effect I find tical transverse section of the same.

that by the insertion in each water-conveying tube of the heater of a supplementary tube of considerably less diameter, arranged so as to rest on the bottom of the water-tube, the continuity of the scale will be broken and that after the heater'has been in usethe flooding of the tubes with cold water will cause a feed-water heater heated by live steam, of

loose removable supplementary tubes arranged therein and adapted to prevent the formation in said main tubes of unbroken circles of scale and to loosen and disrupt the solid scale deposit when the tubes'are contracted by cooling.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent a feed-water heater embodying my invention, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the heater. Fig. 2 is a ver- Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, enlarged, of one of the water-tubes with the inner supplementary tube in position.

The body of the heater consists of a cylindrical shell or casing A, having at one end removable head or cap B, flanged, and having at the other or front end an opening closed by a removable cap B and bolted to the body. At some distance from each end of the casing a partition is fitted in place and secured to the Wall of the casing. These partitions and C, respectively, are pierced for the insertion and support of the main water-tubes D, of which any desirednumber is employed, the tubes being expanded and flangedat their ends, so as to be water and steam tight at the joints.

E designates the live-steam pipe leading from the boiler, and E a branchleadingtherefrom to the casing A and communicating with the space between the partitions O 0, so that the live steam will surround and heat the tubes D and raise the temperature of the water passing through said tubes to the required degree. The branch pipe E is provided with a suitable valve e.

F designates the pump, from which leads the pipe F to the space F at the front end of the heater forward of the partition 0. G is a valve on said pipe, and G a branch leading from the pipe F above the valve G to the open air and having a valve g.

H designates a vessel attachedto the heater near its rear end and opening at its upper end into the space F between the partition 0 and the rear end of the casing A. This vessel, with its contents, is intended and adapted to constitute a water-purifier or oil-separator and for this purpose contains a series of seivelike pans d d d, filled with gravel, in which the water passing from the tubes D of the heater is filtered or purified, so as to separate from it the oil taken up by the water from the exhaust-steam in the open heater and such scale-forming or other minerals as may not have been deposited in the tubes of the heater. The vessel 11 communicates near its lower end with the boiler by means of a pipe I, the end of which is bent upwardly in the vessel H. This pipe is provided with a checkvalve 1 past which the water from the heater is forced into the boiler, but which closes against back pressure of Water from the boiler. A by-pass pipe I is connected with the pipe I and communicates therewith on opposite sides of the check-valve 1 provided with a valve lflwhich maybe opened or closed as it is required to use the bypass for the admission of water from the boiler to j the vessel H and water-space of the heater to blow off the same when clogging or accu-' mulation of solid matter takes place.

K designates a pipe entering the space F at the rear end of the heater above the vessel H and provided at its lower end with a T connection K, the horizontal portion of which is perforated. This pipe extends above and outside the heater and is opened to the air at 3 its end, but provided with a valve to close it when not in actual service. blow-off pipe L, provided with a valve L, leads from the bottom of the vessel H. An-

other pipe M, provided with a valve m, leads downward from the steam-space of the easing A near the vessel H. This pipe is used to draw 01f from the steam-space the water of condensation.

Reverting to the principal features of my invention-whit, the supplementary loose as to project slightly from the ends of the main tubes for convenience in handling and removing.

When the heater is in actual use, the valves on pipes K L M G are closed and the valves on pipes F E opened, water being then The pipe 1 is.

A drip and esaeai forced into the heater by the pump, which preferably takes its supply from the open heater, wherein it has been primarily heated by the exhaust-steam from the engine, passes through the tubes D and supplementary tubes P, and takes up additional heat to near the boiler temperature from the live steam admitted around the pipes D from the boiler. This increased heat causes the liberation of the scale-forming matter from the water, and all or nearly all such matter is deposited in the tubes D, the deposit being greatest at the bottom of the tubes and gradually diminishing in depth to the top of the tubes. Scale is also deposited on the exterior exposed surface of the supplementary tubes P, but obviously is not deposited at the lower middle part of the tubes D D, upon which the supplementary tubes P rest. The circle of scale which would otherwise form is therefore interrupted or broken at its deepest or densest part and its resistance weakened. When upon removing the cap B it is observed that so much scale has been deposited that its removal becomes necessary, the valves on the steam-inlet and pump pipes are closed. Cold water is now let into the heater while the heater-tubes are still hot, and the result is a contraction of the tubes and of the mass of incrustation therein. This contraction lifts the supplementary tubes P from their seats and causes such a break in the mass of incrustation that it disintegrates and loosens from the tubes, so that when the inner tubes are removed the further crushing and displacement of the scale becomes easy, and the tubes can therefore be cleaned with but little labor orloss of time. As the supplementary tubes will also require the removal of scale from their inner and outer surfaces, it is in= tended that one or more sets of inner tubes should be kept in reserve, so that a clean set may be inserted in the heater while the incrusted set are being cleaned, thus obviating any long interruption in the use of the heater. The adherence of scale to the tubes D D may be considerably lessened by wiping their inner surfaces previous to use with a mixture of cylinder-oil and plumbago, which will thus form a thin film, preventing actual contact of the scale with the metal. When it is desired to blow off the heater and purifier by water from the boiler, the valves 6 and G are closed and the valvesg 7c L opened. Water from the boiler is then admitted to the vessel H by opening the valve in the by-pass pipe 1 and the accumulations of oil and sediment are blown out through the pipes K, L, and G. The oil which accumulates in the purifier above the gravel-pans is from time to time drawn oif through the cooks n n at the side of the vessel I-I.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. A feed-water heater comprising the easing A, with vertical partitions C C and having water-spaces between said partitions and the ends of the casing; water-tubes attached to and extending between said partitions and communicating with said water-spaces, loose, removable supplementary tubes arranged eocentrically within and resting on the bottoms of said water-tubes; a live-steam-supply pipe leading from the boiler to the casing and communicating with the space around the water-tubes; a water-supply pipe leading from a pump to the water-space of the casing A and a pipe provided with acheok-valve leading from the water-space of the casing to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the feed-water heater comprising a closed casing having horizontal watertubes, water-spaces with which said tubes communicate and means of access to the interior of the casing from one or both ends, of means for forcing water from an open heater through said tubes to the boiler, means for admitting said water from the boiler into said casing and around said tubes and loose, removable supplementary tubes located eccentrically within and resting upon the bottoms of the Water-tubes as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK J. MANLEY.

Witnesses:

THOS. A. CONNOLLY, JOHN GRAEBING, J r. 

